Quality Policy

It is the policy of the Department of Energy to establish quality requirements to ensure that risks and environmental impacts are minimized and that safety, reliability, and performance are maximized through the application of effective management systems commensurate with the risks posed by the facility or activity and its work. The Department implements this policy through the QA Order and the QA rule directives to ensure quality assurance requirements are clearly specified for the broad spectrum of work performed by DOE and its contractors.

Objective

The objective of the QA requirements are to establish an effective management system (i.e., quality assurance programs) using the performance requirements coupled technical standards where appropriate that ensure:

1. Senior Management provides planning, organization, direction, control, and support to achieve DOE's objectives;
2. Line organizations achieve quality;
3. Line organizations minimize environment, safety, and health risks and impacts while maximizing reliability and performance;
4. Line organizations have a basic management system in place that is consistent with the principles and functions of the Integrated Safety Management System Policy (DOE P 450.4A); and,
5. Each DOE element reviews, evaluates, and improves their overall performance and that of their contractors using a rigorous assessment process based upon an approved Quality Assurance Program (ref. 48 CFR 970.1100).